Dear Virtual Creations client,
You are receiving this email because you have a singing-group website that was built by Virtual Creations.
I am pleased to announce that there's a major new version available of this website package - the first significant upgrade since 2003! I've started actively singing again, and decided that my new singing group should have the best possible website. I was aware that in the past few years I had done very little work on developing the singing-group website package that you are currently using. Web technologies, fashions and standards have changed a lot in the past few years, and this website package was getting a little long in the tooth.
So I undertook a major rewrite of the package, and yesterday launched the website for my new singing group, Sound Connection:
Please feel free to browse around the website. You will probably spot many new features and improvements. If you would like to see inside the "Members Only" area, where the great bulk of improvements have been made, then please contact me and I'll arrange a tour for you.
New Features
Below is a list of some of the more significant new features...
· The whole site has a fresh, modern new look, compatible with all modern browsers, on computers, iPads, phones, etc
· The Home page has a slideshow, with banner photos that rotate automatically
· Find at-a-glance info at the bottom of the home page (and many other pages): Upcoming events, Contact details, Site map, and a slideshow of selected photos
· Tight integration with YouTube - attach videos directly to songs (demo videos for the public, and choreo videos for the members), past events, bulletin board items, and quartet bios
· Integration with Facebook
· Play learning track MP3 files direct from the website, without having to download them first
· The "Have a listen" page can now contain YouTube videos and MP3 files that play directly from the website
· Events
o Members can now register their intended attendance at upcoming gigs and rehearsals, so that you can see at a glance how many singers will be there. This can happen direct from the notification email that the members receive from the website
o A new "Past Performances" page, complete with photos and video for each event
o Allow visitors and members to export events to Outlook, iCal and Google Calendar
· Interactive Google Map on the "Visit a Rehearsal" page
· Total revamp of photo albums, with slick new slideshow feature
· Many new database fields for members, events, bulletin board, songs, etc
· Management team can send an SMS message to all members with one click if there's an urgent change to a gig, or similar (each message costs 10 cents)
· Members-only area
o Totally revamped with big navigation icons
o At-a-glance upcoming and recent events, where each member can register their attendance for upcoming events with one click
o Status of songs that still need to be learned/assessed/passed
o Upcoming birthdays
· Member search/list page now has a "quick search" option, to search the member database by name, email, etc
· The text of welcome emails for new members can now be edited
· A new report for the treasurer showing which members' dues are expiring soon
· Plus dozens of new usability and administration enhancements throughout every page - too numerous to mention
Also included is all the updates and features added to the package over the past several years, some of which you may already have on your current site, and some you may not:
· Assessments: Track which members have learned which songs, and when
· Attendance: Track attendance of members at each gig, rehearsal, workshop, etc, with reports and graphs
· Positions: There is a database of management positions - including email addresses - easily administered
· Administration can manage the options in each drop-down list, without having to ask me to add the option for you
· Integration of the member database with the mailing lists, so that whenever a member is added or removed, or changes voice part or email address, the mailing lists are updated automatically
Furthermore, I've changed the underlying architecture so that, instead of each website being a separate installation of the software package, all singing-group websites now use the one copy of the software. This means that if I make any improvements to this software, everyone's website automatically gets the update.
Pricing
If you choose to use this new package, you first need to decide how your new website is going to LOOK. I'm referring to the general "template" or "theme" of the site - the general page layout, colour scheme, etc (everything but the content on each separate page). You will have three options:
1. Keep your current look. Aside from the software cost (see below), this option has no addition cost
2. Use the template that has been deployed in the Sound Connection website, changing colours and logo to suit your own group's identity. The cost of integrating this template into your new website would be $100 (separate to the cost of the package itself, see below)
3. Use a modern new template of your own choosing. There are literally thousands available on template websites throughout the Net, so it's not too hard to find an excellent, striking one. They typically cost from $20 to $80 to purchase, and I would need to charge you $250 to integrate this new template into your site.
The software package upgrade itself costs $300, a one-time charge. This includes installing the software onto your website, and importing your existing site's content and database, plus any training that's required (none should be - the new site is easier to use than the old one!).
There are no other charges. Your existing annual costs would remain the same.
Note that Australian clients will need to add 10% GST to the prices above.
Please let me know if you're interested in this new package.
Kind regards,
Mark Virtue
Virtual Creations
bus: +61 2 8005 4277
mobile: +61 411 170517
http://www.virtualcreations.com.au
